


For the Love of Family

by blueboxesandtrafficcones



Series: 31 Days of Ficmas 2017 [24]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Kiss, Love Confessions, human 10th Doctor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-25 19:34:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13219716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueboxesandtrafficcones/pseuds/blueboxesandtrafficcones
Summary: Sequel to Family Feast.  It's the day of the Noble family get together, commonly known as Christmas Eve.  Rose is front and center - can she go toe to toe with her fake boyfriend's mother?  Will reality come crashing down?





	For the Love of Family

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Family Feast](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13211748) by [blueboxesandtrafficcones](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueboxesandtrafficcones/pseuds/blueboxesandtrafficcones). 



> Day 24 of 31 Days of Ficmas. Word of the day - love.
> 
> Part 2 of 3. 3rd part coming soon as a separate story.

Rose spent the entire car ride panicking as she tried to take in the info dump on who’s who.  In the days since the invite she’d taken every break she’d had when he was in, and they’d gone through the crash course of basics the other should know.

As they pulled up in front of Donna’s house however, it all went out the proverbial window leaving her paralyzed in her seat as James held the door for her.

“Rose?”  He peered down at her, worried.  “It’s not too late to change your mind – I can take you home if you’d rather…”

“No,” she shook herself out of it, digging deep for her strength.  “I’m good.  Let’s go.”

They made it halfway up the walk before she stopped again to stare at his back.

“Rose?”  It took several steps for him to realize she wasn’t behind him, and he turned back to her.

“They’re gonna expect us to kiss,” she blurted, feeling her face flush.

“We’ll say you have a cold,” he dismissed.  “Actually, that could be good – it’ll certainly help get us out of there early.”

“Right,” Rose said awkwardly, blushing further as she decided – in for a penny, in for a pound, right?  “Or, you know, if you really wanna sell it…”

James stared at her for along moment.  “I’m not saying I’m not open to it…”

“We should just be prepared, you know?  Things happen,” she suggested, and he nodded slowly.

“So long as we’ve talked about it…”

“It’s okay is all I’m saying, if you need to, or want to, or whatever.”

“Good to know.”

His gaze darted down to her lips and his tongue darted out to wet his own, making her a little bit braver.

“But, uh, first time shouldn’t be with an audience, right?  You can always tell when it’s a first kiss – they’ll never buy it then.”

“Are you saying I should kiss you?”  His tone was doubtful but his eyes brightened, making her heart speed up.

“For believability.  Cause you know someone’s gonna ask me how good a kisser you are – I’d hate to lie.”

“I’d never ask that of you,” he murmured, coming up close within her personal space and gently cupping her cheek with a shaking hand.

“James,” she whispered and he lowered his mouth to hers, hovering a breath away.  Impatient, she fisted his lapel and pulled him to her.

Rose was willing to admit, if only to herself, that she’d imagined this.  A lot.  She knew fantasizing about a customer was a bad idea, but for more than a year she’d seen him near every day.  She’d watched him drink his coffee in the winter, seen how he wrapped his lips around a straw in the summer.  How he often licked his lips when trying to decide whether or not to try a specialty seasonal drink.

It was better than she’d ever dreamed.  Dry lips pressed against glossy ones, not moving, and it was still the best kiss of her life.

“Oi!”  Donna’s voice broke the moment and they both jumped back, cheeks flaming.  “Quit snogging and come inside!”

“We should…” he gestured vaguely, looking more than a bit flustered.

“Yeah!”  Rose squeaked in reply, but caught his jacket before he could turn.  “Um, you’ve got…”

Her thumb came up automatically to wipe away the remains of her lip gloss, not realizing what she’d done until he pecked a kiss to the digit, making them both freeze again.

“James!”  Donna hollered, and the both turned without a word and hurried up the path.

“Here,” he held the door for her, unable to look her in the eye.  “Remember the safe word?”

Her smile turned to a smirk after she brushed past him.  Of course she did – it was banana.

After that kiss, she thought Freud might have a field day with that one.

* * *

James watched in awe and a little bit of fear as Rose expertly handled his family as though she’d known them for years.  It was a fairly small crowd; Donna and her boyfriend, their mother and grandfather, James’ favorite aunt, and a scattering of cousins; no more than a dozen, them included.

He watched as she laughed with his grandfather, and for just a moment he allowed himself to pretend that it was real.  Truth to tell, he’d been harboring a not-so-little crush on the kind barista since his very first visit.  As good as the coffee was, it didn’t compare to how seeing her every morning made him feel.

“You really love her.”

He jumped, turning to face his aunt.  “Sarah!”

“I can certainly see why – she’s lovely,” Sarah Jane continued.  “And it’s clear she feels the same.”

“Oh, no, I don’t – I mean-” he belatedly remembered they were supposed to be a couple, and shut his mouth before the whole sordid tale could come out.  He was embarrassed at how long he’d been lying to his family, but not enough to come clean.

“Donna said you’ve been thinking about proposing?”

James’ eyes widened, checking to make sure that Rose was still out of hearing range.  She was, in the middle of a tale that had his grandfather howling with laughter.  “I’m not sure she feels the same way I do,” he admitted truthfully, watching with an aching heart as two of his favorite people got on so well.

“She does,” Sarah said confidently, watching them as well.

“Really?”  His heart leapt, and his aunt smiled at the hope on his face.

“Trust me.  Did Donna really show up at her work?”

* * *

Before lunch James had managed to keep his mother and sister away from Rose, something Donna had obviously noticed because she seated Rose between herself and Sylvia, with James on his mother’s other side.

“So, Rose,” Sylvia started as soon as the food had been served, “James says you work in a coffee shop?”

Hand outstretched to her water glass, Rose paused to look over at the woman.  “I do.  It’s how we met.”

Sylvia nodded with pursed lips.  “And what do you plan to do once you’re finished with that?”

Rose shrugged, finally getting a sip of water and using it to hide her nerves.  “Retire, I would think.  That’s quite a ways off.”

The older woman’s eyebrows shot up, the first visible evidence that she and James were related.  “You plan to sell coffee the rest of your life?”

“I do,” Rose smiled politely.  “I love it.  The brewing of course, and the baking for the scones and muffins and such.  But most of all I love the customers; getting to know them, hearing their stories.  Hot beverages are such an integral part of who we are as a species, and there’s just something about providing that that feels right.”

“Is there any upward mobility?”

“Mum,” James intervened, but Rose gave him a warning glare to let her handle it.

“Not as such, no.”

“Really?  No way to grow in your position?”

Rose hummed thoughtfully.  “Well, I suppose I could always expand, or open a new location.  I try to test out different brands and types of drinks, and I certainly have plans along the line of ways to improve the customer experience.”

Sylvia scoffed derisively.  “You talk like you own the place.”

“I do.”

James coughed on the bite he’d just taken, and Sylvia’s fork clattered to the plate.

“What?”

“Bad Wolf Beanery.  I bought the shop about three years ago and changed the name,” Rose explained calmly, hiding her smirk behind her water glass at the shocked look on everyone’s faces.

“That’s incredibly impressive,” Sarah Jane said, barely hiding her laughter at her sister-in-law’s gobsmacked expression.

“I worked my arse off,” Rose shrugged.  “I worked there off and on since I was, oh, sixteen?  The last owner, Mr. Jones, took me on as almost an apprentice.  When he and his wife decided to retire, we worked out a deal where I’d buy them out.  I paid the balance off about four months ago.”

“Well, James has been raving about it for more than a year now,” Wilf told her.  “Though I certainly wonder how much of that was the business, and how much the proprietress.”

Rose and James flushed as he halfheartedly protested, “Gramps…”

“Hang on,” Donna interrupted.  “If you’re the owner, why didn’t you say so?”

Rose shrugged.  “It’s just easier, really.  Customers tend not to take me seriously cause of my age.  If I have to pull rank I’ll say I’m the manager on duty, which is technically true.  And I’d planned to work this afternoon so Amy, one of my employees, could spend the holiday with her boyfriend, who had to work tomorrow.”

“Well, it sounds like you’re doing a fine job,” Wilf complimented her, and she blushed again.

“Thank you.  Anyway, that’s me.  Donna, this lunch is _delicious_.”

Rose deftly steered the conversation away from herself, sneaking a glance at James once Donna was off on the meal only to find he was already looking at her.  When he caught her eye he gave her a big grin, and she relaxed back to enjoy the food.

* * *

After lunch when Rose was helping Donna clean up the kitchen, Sylvia cornered her son by the Christmas tree.

“I don’t approve,” she said bluntly.  “This girl’s not right for you, James.”

“I disagree,” Wilf butted in before his grandson could respond.  “She’s perfect – you ought to seal the deal, as they say.”

“Dad!”

“What?  She’s lovely, Sylvia, and he’s never smiled as much as he does when he’s talking about her.  I had my concerns, but having met her now it’s obvious they’re as in love as the day is long!  Not everything’s about you.”

“I-” James tried to interrupt, but his mother talked over him.

“Dad, how can you say that?!  This, this, this girl- this _chav_ thinks she can waltz right in here-”

“Mum!”  James bellowed.  “How can you _say_ that?  She’s been nothing but polite and respectful, changing her plans to show up here when Donna demanded!  Rose is kind, and decent.  And I’d much rather spend Christmas with her than with you, the way you’re acting now!”

“But, James,” Sylvia protested, “how can you say-”

“Because I love her!” he roared, and the room fell deathly silent.

“You do?” he heard softly from behind him, and he closed his eyes briefly before spinning around.

“Rose-” before he could get another word out she all but tackled him, throwing her arms around his neck as she pressed against him.

“Really?” Rose breathed, and he smiled wryly down at her.

“Yeah.”

“Me too,” she whispered, and the slow, happy grin that grew on his face he gave as he understood made her heart take flight.

“Really?”

“Mmhmm.  For ages,” she admitted, fingers toying with his collar.

“Me too!”  He bent his knees slightly to be eye to eye with her, and they beamed at each other.

“Can I kiss you?”  It finally occurred to him to ask.

In response, she tugged his head down to hers.

She was wrong earlier. 

 _This_ was the best kiss of her life.


End file.
